The Reason Why The Xbox One X Is Selling Out In Japan

Early this morning, a sign went up in front of the Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo’s Akihabara. It read 完売 (kanbai), which means “sold out.” This is just one of several stores across Japan that have sold through their stock. There is a reason for that, and that reason is that they’re only selling preorders.

[PhoenixUp]

The words “Xbox”, “sales”, & “Japan” will in the same sentence will always be worth a chuckle.

[butchertroll]

Will we see next week when Media Create reveal sales numbers. I'm pretty sure it would be hilarious.

[jackdaniels]

does anyone in the western world care about sales in Japan?

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Damn that's funny makes me want to chuckle

[Relientk77]

Not a lot of supply because not a lot of demand

[ChipdiddyChip]

Yeh, you tell yourself that

[Razzer]

Are you serious? There has NEVER been a high demand for Xbox in Japan.

[ChipdiddyChip]

@Razzer

Have you got the sales figures for the 1X in Japan?

[Razzer]

Do you? You were damn quick to dismiss the idea that One X demand was low, like it always has been for Xbox there. You are deluding yourself if you think there is high demand when the thing is largely only available via advanced order and not even being stocked by some retailers.

[ChipdiddyChip]

@Razzer

I never stated there was high or low demand for the 1X in Japan, I wait for facts and figures and don't speak rhetoric. Ill repeat myself again, how can you state how much the 1X has sold when it was only released today and no actual sales figures have been shown of the console. I'm talking about the 1X because of this article, not the standard xbox one or the xbox one s.

[Goldby]

@Chipdiddychip

its not stocked because they dont have the same demand for Xbox there as it is in the US.
80,000 Xbox's have been sold in Japan. over the course of 4 years thats 20,000 xboxs a year, thats 54 xbox's a day, and when the country has close to 130 million people thats less that 7% of the population that owns xboxs

[Razzer]

No one said a damn thing about sales numbers. The statement made was that demand was low. You sure used some rhetoric when responding to that so drop the bullshit about waiting for facts and figures.

[Goldby]

@Razzer, just bookmark this page and we'll chat with him in march when the console will barely sell 1000 units

[Eonjay]

There is nothing to sell because they don't have any. How high can the sales be if there aren't any to sell to begin with?

[butchertroll]

Next week Media Create will give us numbers. You'll be surprised how it sold in such low numbers, man.

[trooper_]

Okay, you provide good sale figures for Xbox in Japan.

We'll wait.

[rainslacker]

@Chip,

Around mid year, they were about 76,000 units sold lifetime in Japan. This was based on media create numbers which is similar to NPD, but more accurate and open.

There have been many weeks when they sell around 100 or so a week....some weeks even less.

Facts and figures are readily available with a simple google search. Even VGChartz uses media create for console sales in Japan, because it's a weekly report, and generally pretty accurate for that region.

@Goldby

Think your precentage calculation forgot to move the decimal. It's actually about .06% of the population. That's less than 1/10th of a percent of the population.

[rocketpanda]

Argue all you want and try to deflect that this isn't about the XBox One or S, but you cannot look at those sales in Japan since it launch in September 2014 then expect the Xbone One X to be completely different. The initial sales of the Xbox One in the region was 25,000, the second week around 3000, third and fourth week dropped to about 1200. As of last week it was 97.It struggles selling more than 3 digits on a weekly basis.

When the MediaCreate data gets released next week you'll be nowhere to be seen because the sales WILL be dismal. I don't need to know the future but many can confidently speculate the outcome judging from past sales and demand for the system. The country is still queuing for the Switch, and when you can buy one from a scalper on amazon japan cheaper than the Xbox One X then the system has already lost.

Just admit it's a niche system in that region. 4K gaming hasn't even taken off in Japan. 4K TV and monitors here are still much more expensive that overseas regions. It is relegated to being an enthusiasts system here and you should be perfectly fine with that.

[staggerlee3769]

Why is it so important to you that XBOX sells well in Japan?
Did you ever wonder why Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft etc send different amounts of units to different countries or why they use terminology such as the US market, the Japanese market etc? It’s because every market is different. The differences are all taken into consideration when determining the most cost effective way to advertise to a market and how many units to send to them. Historically there is no demand for XBOX in Japan. It’s a fact, not a guess or an exaggeration, Microsoft already took that into consideration loooooong before the system went into development. Does that mean death for Microsoft or somehow make it an inferior system? No it doesn’t. The determination of whether or not this release will be successful will be to determine total sales across all markets. The bigger worry, than whether or not it sells in a market that it’s not expected to sell well in at all, is did they shoot themselves in the foot by releasing this at a $500 price point this close to the release of the XBOX One S? If it does fail it’s still not the death of the XBOX. Watch the progression of the standard XBONE. Once it’s sales started paling in comparison to the PS4 MS started listening to games and giving us what we wanted. So if it fails you still have nothing to worry about. So I’m really not sure why you care what it’s sales look like in a Japan.

[MagicBeanz]

LOL this guy, he's trying so hard you really have to hand it to him.

[DarXyde]

I'm willing to bet a testicle that demand is honestly low in Japan. Xbox has never, I repeat: never, one more time: NEVER, had a strong presence in Japan.

The Japanese market is not going to buy expensive, imported hardware that offers software that doesn't appeal to it beyond a few people. Power doesn't concern Japan. Portability and RPGs do.

One X can do well in the North America and parts of Europe, but it has no chance in Japan, period.

[hulk_bash1987]

You do realize that the Xbox One X is still an Xbox One right? Japan has never been a strong market for the Xbox Brand. Just because it's a stronger console, doesn't mean it's gonna magically make the console more appealing to Japanese gamers. I'm debating whether I wanna get a One S for $149 or buy the One X and accept the possibility of a 3 year lifespan for the console until the next gen of platforms comes out in 2020. This, of course, is purely speculation as there is no official release date for the PS5 and "Next"box.

[drunkenspy007]

Hmm, 100 down votes and growing, I think people are trying to tell you something. We get it, you like xbox, but the Japanese have always chosen their country's own systems over any others.

[AmUnRa]

He, he is telling the true, but you cant handle the true😉

[ChipdiddyChip]

@ImTrumPeach

This article is talking about the 1X, not the standard xbox one or the xbox one s. My argument is how can you state how much the console has sold when it was only released today and no actual sales figures have been shown of the 1X..

[Goldby]

for a few reasons.

Japan tends to support its own, aka Nintendo and Sony more than an american Company.

On top of that, the Japanese developers, tend to go with Sony or Nintendo who are then supported by the japanese consumers because the products they deliver are what Japanese players want. while yes there are those that enjoy the likes of Halo and Gears, they tend to enjoy to niche products liek Neir, Persona, Last guardian and others like that.

Japan totals -

PS2 - 23.18 Million
Xbox - 1.18 Million
PS3 - 10.47 Million
Xbox 360 - 1.66 Million
PS4 - 5.3 Million
Xbox One - 0.08 Million

Theres the proof to your pudding.
Start speaking logically and you wont need the aloe vera

Not to mention that sony and Nintendo have marketing on point for the Japanese market where MS just swaps out the english words for Japanese, which clearly isn't enough

[ChipdiddyChip]

@Goldby

Apply that logic to Apple which is an american company, as far as I'm aware they are doing very well in Japan.

[Goldby]

@Chip

you also think Ms is doing well in japan so i cant take a word you say seriously.

MS isn't gonna gain any attraction in japan bringing out a 3rd console when the first two haven't been selling (and im just talking about this gen)

Well i guess when the truth hurts you try to side track with useless comments that dont hold merit to gaming consoles.

phone market and console market are two very different things. When was the last time you could fit 2 or 3 consoles in your pocket, when was the last time a 500$ console had a monthly payment plan built in so that normal people can afford to purchase new consoles every year.

How about instead at looking at other markets (which Ms is failign at as well BTW) we focus on gaming.

remove the glasses bud and you may be able to see, Ms will be lucky if they hit 100k units sold in Japan this gen.

[ChipdiddyChip]

@Goldby

I clearly never said Microsoft are doing well in Japan. My argument is in relation to the 1X as it was only released today, therefore how the hell are you supposed to know its done well or bad in Japan. It is you that is bringing up Microsoft's console history.
Last time I checked 'mobile gaming' is part of gaming. The Nintendo switch is also a hybrid portable device which you can travel with. Its clear it you that needs to take the glasses off if you don't understand the logic something being out for less than a day, therefore for its not possible to know if that product has sold well or not.

[Goldby]

@Chip

does this ring a bell

"Yeh, you tell yourself that"

that is implying that the console will be selling alot better than history has shown xbox's selling in Japan.

on top of that, Console gaming is very different from Mobile gaming. but for someone who clearly believes the words of MS i can see how you confused the two due to Mt and GaaS model form Free to play games being implemented into console full priced games.

The major difference between console gaming and mobile gaming is 1) you cant fit a traditional console in your pocket. 2) you cant fit 3 consoles in your pocket. (japan has some of the best prices in terms of cell phone plans to the point some people have multiple phones depending on the situation or who they are calling (be it work and personal)

market history proves more than anything how to judge a newly released product.

again look at the history of xbox in japan, between 3 different generations they have sold a total of 3 million units (and thats rounding up) stores were advertising the one S as a UHD blu ray disc instead of gaming console because it wasn't selling when advertised as a gaming console. stores were havign the same console on the same shelf for months. there isn't a hope in hell that the One X is gonna sell in japan the way you believe it will be selling. as ive stated they'll be lucky if they sell 1000 by march.

my honest beliefs is that they will maybe have 1 or 2 in stores, one for display the other to sell and maybe take special orders and ship them to customers. there just isn't a high demand for MS xbox in japan. learn to take the truth of it with a spine.

[Razzer]

That is some serious fanboydom when an Xbox fan refuses to grasp the simple fact of low demand for his fave console in a country where it has never done well. This is just getting funnier all the time.